2 Peter 3:18 - Growing In Your Relationship With Jesus.
2 Peter 3:18 (KJV) But grow in grace, and in
the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.
COMMENTARY PEARLS
It is the Lord's desire that His
followers shall grow in grace, that their love shall
abound more and more, that they shall be filled
with the fruits of righteousness, which are by
Jesus Christ, unto the praise and glory of God.
One of the divine plans for growth is
impartation. The Christian is to gain strength by
strengthening others. "He that watereth shall be watered
also himself." This is not merely a promise; it
is a divine law, a law by which God designs
that the streams of benevolence, like the waters
of the great deep, shall be kept in constant
circulation, continually flowing back to their source. In
the fulfilling of this law is the secret of
spiritual growth (ST June 12, 1901). {7BC 947}
Strength comes by exercise; activity is the
very condition of life. Those who endeavor to
maintain Christian life by passively accepting the
blessings that come through the means of grace, and
doing nothing for Christ, are simply trying to
live by eating without working. And in the
spiritual as in the natural world, this always results
in degeneration and decay. A man who would
refuse to exercise his limbs would soon lose all
power to use them. Thus the Christian who will not
exercise his God-given powers not only fails to grow
up into Christ, but he loses the strength that
he already had. {SC 80.3}
COMMENTARY
Grow In Grace - not in one grace only,
but in all grace. Grow in that root-grace,
faith. Believe the promises more firmly than you
have done. Let faith increase in fulness,
constancy, simplicity. Grow also in love. Ask that your
love may become extended, more intense, more
practical, influencing every thought, word, and deed.
Grow likewise in humility. Seek to lie very low,
and know more of your own nothingness. As you
grow downward in humility, seek also to grow
upward - having nearer approaches to God in prayer
and more intimate fellowship with Jesus. May God
the Holy Spirit enable you to grow in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour. He who grows not
in the knowledge of Jesus, refuses to be
blessed. To know him is life eternal, and to
advance in the knowledge of him is to increase in
happiness. He who does not long to know more of Christ,
knows nothing of him yet. Whoever hath sipped this
wine will thirst for more, for although Christ
doth satisfy, yet it is such a satisfaction, that
the appetite is not cloyed, but whetted. If you
know the love of Jesus - as the hart panteth for
the water-brooks, so will you pant after deeper
draughts of his love. If you do not desire to know
him better, then you love him not, for love
always cries, Nearer, nearer. Absence from
Christ is hell; but the presence of Jesus is
heaven. Rest not then content without an increasing
acquaintance with Jesus. Seek to know more of him in his
divine nature, in his human relationship, in his
finished work, in his death, in his resurrection, in
his present glorious intercession, and in his
future royal advent. Abide hard by the Cross, and
search the mystery of his wounds. An increase of
love to Jesus, and a more perfect apprehension of
his love to us is one of the best tests of
growth in grace. [Morning and Evening by Charles H.
Spurgeon]
I love those little signs that spring is
right around the corner. Those tiny green shoots
that eventually become daffodils. The buds on
trees. Chocolate bunnies in the stores. Okay, maybe
that last one is just a personal temptation.
Seriously, though, the natural world is changing and
will soon explode with color and new life.
Do you sense the same kind of dynamic
change inside your heart? What does it mean to
follow Christ and be his new creation? How is he
changing you?
Jesus is the Son of God, who came to
earth and showed us God's love. He hung out with
those the religious people rejected: the sinners,
the tax collectors, the prostitutes. He loved
them where they were. He forgave their sins. He
changed them and they became born again, new
creations.
When we call on Jesus, he makes us new in
that same way. Not just a better version of the
old us. But new. Every sin forgiven. We're
filled with his Spirit. We're transformed. If
you're standing firm in your faith, then you can
trust God to change you and make you like his
Son.
Because when you follow him, your life
will look different from before. You will be holy
- set apart - from the world around you. Never
forget that the old you has passed away; you're a
new person in Christ.
Sometimes it's hard to feel like I'm
really growing in my faith, Lord. But I know I can
trust your promise to forgive my sins and make me
a new creation. Thank you that I'm becoming
more like Jesus every day. [Daily Power by Craig
Groeschel]
ILLUSTRATION
Last summer, my husband, daughter, and I
went to the state fair. We arrived in time to
watch the horse-riding competitions. I've always
loved horses and gentle rides. However, the riding
we saw was on a completely different level.
Sitting in the front row, I felt the energy of the
horse as it galloped past, leaning into the curve
and kicking up dust. Teams of riders then
charged around barrels, weaving tight patterns in
perfect timing.
The power and skill of both horse and
rider astounded me, and I clapped until my hands
were sore. When the announcer introduced the next
competition, children rode in and wove their ponies
between poles. I realized that I was watching the
early process of developing the skills for barrel
racing.
The stages of growth in the riders
reminded me of our spiritual journey. When we begin
our walk with Jesus, we are like those children
on their ponies, enjoying the ride.
As we confront new obstacles, He deepens
our faith. We learn to adjust our balance, lean
into Him more, and focus on Him. Like a rider
galloping at full speed, we learn to take more risks
in our faith and trust Him in difficult times.
Sometimes we fall. Our mistakes make us even more
aware of our need for His grace. Other times we
dig into the Word. Scripture, fellowship with
others, and time in prayer all help us grow in our
knowledge of Jesus.
Let's heed the invitation of 2 Peter 3:18
and grow in both "the grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." by Sharon Hinck
Faith Step: Watch a video of rodeo events
and think about the steps of growth involved.
Ask Jesus to help you grow in Him today.
[Mornings With Jesus 2018 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
CLOSING THOUGHT
First Corinthians 10:31 tells us that
even our eating and drinking should be done to
the glory of God. God's glory is like a pair of
colored glasses that tint everything you see.
Whatever you do should be done for His glory. The
question you must now ask about everything is, "How
will this glorify God?"
God is intent on displaying who He is.
Psalm 19:1 says: "The heavens are telling of the
glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the
work of His hands." The whole earth gives us a
picture of the glory of the invisible God. Nature
preaches us a sermon on His glory. Everything should
point us to His glory, and if it doesn't, it's
because we are too "me-centered" to look for His
glory. And if we are centered on ourselves, we are
in sin. Sin is simply falling short of
glorifying God. Romans 3:23 says: "All have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God." You don't have
to rob a bank to be a sinner. All you have to
do is try to take the glory that belongs to Him
alone. We are all cosmic thieves.
God's glory is everywhere. Revelation
21:23 says when we get to heaven there will be no
need of the sun or moon because the glory of the
Lord will illuminate everything. There will be no
night there, for the place will be consumed with
the glory of God. His glory is so awesome that
it will light up our heavenly home.
Our problem today is that we are not
consumed with the glory of God. [Alternative View
with Dr. Tony Evans;
https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/alternative-view-with-dr-tony-evans/]
ONE LINERS
Choose to paddle your lifeboat toward the
Lord by meditating on Scripture, praying, and
living obediently. Practicing the spiritual
disciplines keeps a heart warm toward God. [In Touch
Daily Devotional by Charles Stanley at
www.intouch.org]
Spending time with God, reading the Bible,
praying, and being in fellowship with other
Christians helps us to grow and to understand Him.
Maintaining those habits is like packing on spiritual
muscle that helps us stand firmly against fears,
worries, goals, and temptations that contradict what
Jesus really wants for us. by Erin Keeley Marshall
[Mornings With Jesus 2018 Devotional by
Guideposts and Zondervan]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
2 Peter 3:18 - Growing In Your Relationship
With Jesus.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20181001-1201.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor
(recent): https://www.revelationnow.com/
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio (recent):
https://bible.awr.org/en/the-signs/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
